President Muhammadu Buhari has told the Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann to fast-track the return of Nigeria’s stolen funds stockpiled in various European Countries.
President Buhari made the request during the sidelines meeting with the Switzerland president at the ongoing 71st United Nation General Assembly in New York, United State of America.
Senior Special Adviser to the president, Femi Adesina disclosed that both President Buhari and Schneider-Ammann had reached a compromise on the developmental projects the returned funds will be utilized for.
“At another audience with President Johann Schneider-Ammann of Switzerland, President Buhari sought his counterpart’s cooperation on speedy repatriation of Nigerian money stashed in that country, stressing that Nigeria needed such resources, particularly for infrastructure” he said.
“With the two countries having agreed on projects to which the restituted funds would be deployed, President Schneider-Ammann promised quick action, as soon as the draft agreement was signed”
“He also pledged consolidation of mutual trade relationships, infrastructural development as well as support in training and equipping of the Nigerian military” Adesina added.
Buhari also commended the cordiality between Nigerian, France and Switzerland noting that Nigeria remains the economic hub of Africa.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has applauded the long history of economic relationship between Nigeria and France on the one hand, and Nigeria and Switzerland on the other”.
He also urged more investors and economic partners to troop into the country stating that “Nigeria was a fertile ground for handsome return on investments”.
“Apart from your country’s close relationship with us, you have the same with most of our neighbors,” President Buhari told Francois Hollande of France.
“We seek more collaboration, particularly in agriculture, mining and security. President Buhari added.
President Francios Hollande of France expressed the willingness of his country to partner with Nigeria in different areas of the economy.
“We will invest in Nigeria, we believe in her,”Hollande assured.
He also expressed the willingness of his country to assist Nigeria in providing humanitarian assistance in the North East ravaged by Boko Haram menace.
President Buhari however, assured his French counterpart of the plans initiated by his administration to combat the challenges facing the country.
He said the presidential committee on North East was initiated as “a one-stop mechanism on development partnership for a zone that had been ravaged for many years by Boko Haram insurgents, and which needed urgent rebuilding”.